Arcstrider

Hunter Arcstrider casting Arc Staff

“

Flow like lightning. Strike like thunder.

”

The Arcstrider is an Arc-based Hunter subclass that became available in Destiny 2. Arcstriders possess a lightning staff that can be swung rapidly at opponents for massive Arc damage.

Overview

The Hunter Arcstriders were known to exist since the time of the Dark Age; the first having learned to discipline themselves to flow Light through their bodies and shape lightning in the form of a Bō staff. Similar to the Bladedancers, the Arcstriders fight in close melee akin to a "graceful warrior monk"; utilizing combos blows that blind or jolt enemies while refreshing their dodges and melee abilities and can Blink in and out of short distances. Wielding the signature Arc Staff, the Hunter can chain kills with electrified swings and deflect projectiles while guarding, or hurl their staff (either at an enemy or the ground) like a spear to emit a damaging burst on impact before a giant bolt of lightning strikes the staff and overcharges it, sending out arcs of lightning to damage any nearby enemies. The Arcstrider is also capable of throwing an electrified Arc knife that blinks them to its last known location, ambushing all nearby enemies.

Lore

Destiny 2

No one remembers who the first Arcstrider was. Hardly anyone remembers the Arcstrider at all. Time vanished us like it does memories.
But in the darkest days of the Dark Ages, when humanity was utterly defenseless, Arcstriders disciplined their bodies to let the Traveler's energy flow through them, to call lightning itself to hand and wield it like a staff against the Darkness.
Become the Lightning, they said.
No.
Become the staff, they said.
No.
Become a weapon, they said.
We obliged.

Season of Plunder

"If not a flash, a boom? A crack through the sky? What paved the path that we now stride?"

Every. Time. Every time we get together for a mission, it's a metaphysical debate. Weren't we just swapping stories, sharing knife-sharpening techniques? How'd we get back to campfire philosophy?

Well, I'm here now…

"Arc energy isn't so dramatic," I countered, getting on my feet. "You both feel it, too, right? The prickling hum that runs under everything."

"Feels more like a buzz to me." The stout Awoken finished picking his teeth long enough to weigh in. "Like a million bees coming in from miles away."

I circled the fire, becoming more grateful for the distraction, with nothing else around us for miles. Every time we get together for a mission, I can't seem to sit still.

"But to feel the sparks dance on my fingers," the first Hunter replied, "I could swear they were the product of some great juncture."

One hundred miles away, thunderstorms flashed as if in reply.

I get it, why we can't go a single mission without talking philosophy. Same reason I can't stay sitting. Every time we get together for a mission, we pass it around like a current running between us: anticipation.

Notable Arcstriders

• Gao Sinyada
• Thalia
• Tyv Lucine

Upgrades

Arcstrider 2.0 subclass splash art

Super

• Arc Staff: Forms a staff of pure Arc energy to acrobatically take out your foes.

Grenades

• Skip Grenade: A grenade which splits on impact, creating multiple projectiles which seek enemies.
• Flux Grenade: An explosive grenade which deals additional damage when attached to enemies.
• Arcbolt Grenade: A grenade that chains bolts of lightning to nearby enemies.

Movement

• High Jump: Upgrades Double Jump with even greater height.
• Strafe Jump: Upgrades Double Jump with better directional control while in the air.
• Triple Jump: Upgrades Double Jump with a third jump.

Class Abilities

• Marksman Dodge: Automatically reload your equipped weapon while dodging.
• Gambler's Dodge: Dodging near enemies generates Melee energy.

Way Of The Warrior

• Combat Flow: Melee kills recharge your dodge skill.
• Deadly Reach: Dodging temporarily increases melee range.
• Lethal Current: Arc Staff attacks hit twice after dodging.
• Combination Blow: Kill an enemy with this melee ability to trigger health regeneration and increase your melee damage temporarily. Stacks up to three times.

Way Of The Wind

• Disorienting Blow: Striking an enemy with this debilitating melee attack disorients the target. Killing a target with Disorienting Blow instantly recharges it.
• Focused Breathing: Sprinting reduces your dodge cooldown. Increased maximum sprint speed.
• Battle Meditation: When critically wounded, melee and grenades recharge drastically faster.
• Lightning Reflexes: Take less damage while dodging.

Way of the Current

• Whirlwind Guard: While wielding your Arc Staff, hold down [Block] to deflect incoming projectiles. Deflecting projectiles triples Arc Staff damage for a short time.
  • Replaces regular Arc Staff as subclass Super.
• Tempest Strike: After sliding, activate this melee ability to unleash a devastating uppercut attack.
• Lightning Weave: Melee hits greatly increase weapon reload speed. Dealing damage with a weapon extends the duration.
• Ebb and Flow: Hit a target with an Arc ability to electrify them. Meleeing electrified enemies disorients them and grants grenade, melee, and dodge energy.

Upgrades Arc 3.0 (Destiny 2: Witch Queen/Final Shape)

Arcstrider 3.0 subclass background

Super

• Arc Staff: Form a staff of pure Arc energy and acrobatically take out your foes. Hold (melee button) to deflect incoming projectiles with your Arc staff.
• Gathering Storm: Hurl your Arc Staff forward, embedding it into surfaces or large objects and jolting nearby targets. After a short time, a devastating lightning bolt strikes the staff, overcharging it with Arc energy. While overcharged, your staff discharges lightning at nearby foes.
• Storm's Edge: Summon an electrified dagger and throw it in your aim direction. When the dagger hits a surface or a target, you blink to its location and perform a powerful whirling strike, damaging any nearby targets. Can be reactivated after the strike to perform additional throws. If the dagger flies for long enough without impacting anything, it detonates and you blink to the detonation location.

Grenades

• Skip Grenade: A grenade which splits on impact, creating multiple projectiles which seek targets.
• Flux Grenade: An explosive grenade that attaches to targets.
• Arcbolt Grenade: A grenade that chains bolts of lightning to nearby targets.
• Pulse Grenade: A grenade that periodically damages targets within its explosion radius.
• Storm Grenade: A grenade that calls down a focused lightning storm.
• Flashbang Grenade: An explosive grenade that damages and blinds nearby targets.
• Lightning Grenade: A grenade that sticks to any surface and emits bolts of lightning.

Melee

• Combination Blow: A quick strike that temporarily increases your melee damage when defeating a target, stacking three times. Defeating targets with this ability also fully refills class ability energy and restores a small amount of health.
• Disorienting Blow: Striking an enemy with this melee ability blinds them and amplifies you.

Movement

• High Jump: While airborne, jump a second time to reach greater heights.
• Strafe Jump: While airborne, jump a second time with strong directional control.
• Triple Jump: While airborne, sustain your air control with a second or third jump.
• Blink: Jump while airborne to teleport a short distance.

Class Abilities

• Gambler's Dodge: Dodge to perform a deft tumble, avoiding enemy attacks. Dodging near enemies fully recharges your Melee Ability.
• Marksman's Dodge: Dodge to perform a evasive maneuver with a steady hand. Dodging automatically reloads your weapon.

Aspects

• Flow State (A gleaming amulet with a mantra inscribed. You control your breathing, and the world slows to a crawl.): Defeating a jolted targets makes you amplified. While you are amplified, your dodge recharges more quickly, you are more resilient while dodging, and your reload speed is greatly increased. Fragment Slots (2)
• Tempest Strike (The belt of a practiced master. Faster, faster, always faster. Unleash the tempest within.): While sliding, activate your charged melee ability to unleash a devastating uppercut attack that travels along the ground in front of you, damaging and jolting targets it hits. Fragment Slots (2)
• Lethal Current (A sliver of fulgurite carved by lightning. Strike precisely, and do not relent.): After dodging, your next melee attack has increased lunge range, jolts the target, and creates a damaging aftershock. Damaging any jolted target with melee attacks also blinds them. Fragment Slots (2)
• Ascension (Shards of an Ahamkara bone, found in the ruins of the old Tower Courtyard. Their whispers make you feel light as a feather… but why?): While airborne, consume your class ability energy to summon your Arc Staff, propelling yourself upward and creating a burst of energy around you that amplifies allies and jolts targets. Fragment Slots (2)

Fragments

• Spark of Amplitude: Rapidly defeating targets while you are amplified creates an Orb of Power.
• Spark of Beacons: While you are amplified, your Arc Special or Heavy ammo weapon final blows create a blinding explosion.
• Spark of Brilliance: Defeating a blinded target with precision damage creates a blinding explosion. +10 Intellect.
• Spark of Discharge: Arc weapon final blows have a chance to create an Ionic Trace. -10 Strength.
• Spark of Feedback: Taking melee damage briefly increases your outgoing melee damage. +10 Resilience.
• Spark of Focus: After sprinting for a short duration, your class ability regeneration is increased. -10 Mobility.
• Spark of Frequency: Melee hits greatly increase your reload speed for a short duration.
• Spark of Haste: You have greatly increased mobility, resilience, and recovery while sprinting.
• Spark of Instinct: When critically wounded, taking damage from nearby targets emits a burst of damaging Arc energy that jolts targets.
• Spark of Ions: Defeating a jolted target creates an Ionic Trace.
• Spark of Magnitude: Your lingering Arc grenades (Lightning Grenade, Pulse Grenade, and Storm Grenade) have extended duration.
• Spark of Momentum: Sliding over ammo bricks reloads your equipped weapon and grants a small amount of melee energy.
• Spark of Recharge: While critically wounded, your melee and grenade energy regenerates more quickly.
• Spark of Resistance: While surrounded by combatants, you are more resistant to incoming damage. +10 Strength.
• Spark of Shock: Your grenades jolt targets. -10 Discipline.
• Spark of Volts: Finishers make you amplified. +10 Recovery.

Gallery

• 

  Destiny 2 Arcstrider splash art.

List of appearances

• Destiny 2 (First appearance)
  • Forsaken
  • Season of Plunder
  • The Final Shape